Improvement in railroad-switches



UNITED STATESl PATENTv OFFICE.

MARUELLUS V. CUMMINGS, OF VVINTHROP, MAINE.

IM PROVEMENTA IN RAI LROAD-SWITCH ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46.338, (lated February14,1865.

MINGS, of Winthrop, in the County of Kennebec and State of Maine, haveinvented a new and Improved Railroad-Switch; and I do ,hereby declarethat the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled inthe art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, formingpart of this speciication, in whichx Figure l is a sideview of my invention; Fig. 2, a pla-n or top view ofthe same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to anew and improved railroad-switch, of thatclass which is commonly termed selt'acting"thatis to say, is set by thetrain itself, so asto form a connection with the rails of the track onwhich vthe train is to pass.

lhe object of the invention is to obtain a reliable switch of the classspecified, one which will be actuated with certainty, and at the sametime be simple in construction, so as not to be liable to get out ofrepair.

A A represent the rails of the main road, and B B the rails of a branchroad or turn out.

C (l represent the rails of a switch, which are pivoted at one end vinline with the rails A A, as shown at aa, the opposite or free ends beingmoved in line with either the rails A A or B B, as may be desired.

The switch-rails C C, near their freeor disengaged ends, are pivoted toa cross-bar, l), and one end of the latter is connected by a pivot, b,to one end lot' abent or shaped lever, E, which works on a fulcrum, c,the opposite end of E being pivoted to a sliding bar, F, one end otywhich is pivoted to one end of a bent or -shaped lever, G, the oppositeend of the latter being connectedby a bar, H, with two frogbars, I I',pivoted, respectively, atd d', one ot which frog-bars I is b y the sideof one of the rails A of the main track, and the other frog-bar I', bythe side of one of the rails B of the branch track. The position of theparts above described is 'shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The bar F, near the lever E, basa bar or lever, J, pivoted to it, whichworks on a ful- K K' are two pivoted or suspended arms,

the pins g, of which pass through uprights 1.--

ne at each side of the main track A A-the lower ends ofthe arms beingthe heaviest, in

order that they may adj ust themselves in an upright position and havetheir lower ends in contact with or near to the ledges or projections ff of the bar F and lever J. I

The operation is as follows: Suppose, forinh stance, that theswitch-rails (l (l are in line with the rails B B of the branch trackand a train is passing along on the main track in the directionindicated by'arrow l. In this case the frog-bar I will be in contactwith one of the rails A and the flange of the car-wheel will move orforcel I outward from the rail A in the direction indicated by arrow 3,and the switchrails C C will be moved in line .with the rails AA throughthe medium 0f bar H, lever Gr, bar F, lever E, and bar D, and in caseatrainis passing along the branch trackB B in the direction of arrow 4and the switch rails C (l are in line with the rails A A, the frog-barI' will be in line with one of the rails B, and the flange of thecar-wheel will forcel or move the frog-bar I' in the directionin'dicated by arrow 5 and bring the switch-rails 'i C C in line with therailsB B. In case a train is running onthe main track A A in thelirection indicated by arrow 2 and it is de signed to keep on saidtrack, the switch-rails are in line with the branch rails B B, theengineer adjusts or throws outa bolt or bar from the locomotive, whichwill strike the suspend,-

.ed arm K and cause the lower end of the lat ter to act against theledge or projection f' and move the bar F, and thereby throw theswitch-rails in line with the rails A A 5 and in case the switch-rails C(l are in line with the rails A A of the main track, and it is designedto pass von the branch rails B B, the engineer actuates the suspendedarm K', which causes the switch-rails C C to be thrown in line with therails B B.

I would remark that the switch-rails C G may be operated by hand at anytime through the medium of a le'ver, M, having a weight'at its upperend. This weight serves to assist the movement of the switch'whenautomatically operated, and also serves to prevent it from casuallymoving.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The two rogbarS, I I', bent or I -shaped levers E G,connected With the frog'bars and the switch-rails, substantially as andfor the purpose herein set forth.

2, The suspended arms K K', arranged, respectively, vWith the bar F andlever J, substantially as and for `the purpose specified.

MARGELLUS V. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. ABBOTT,

JOHN A. REARDON.

